More Problems Plague Large Hadron Collider, Will Shut Down for a Year
More Problems Plague Large Hadron Collider, Will Shut Down for a Year
Posted 03/11/2010 at 6:35am
| by Paul Lilly
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What's the over/under on how long the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) stays running? We don't know the answer, but we'd be inclined to take the 'under' bet every time. In the latest bit of bad news, the atom smashing machine will have to be shut down at the end of 2011 for up to year in order to address design issues.
"It's something that, with a lot more resources and with a lot more manpower and quality control, possibly could have been avoided but I have difficulty in thinking that this is something that was a design error," said Dr. Steve Myers, a director of the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
"The standard phrase is that the LHC is its own prototype. We are pushing technologies towards their limits.
"You don't hear about the thousands or hundreds of thousands of other areas that have gone incredibly well. With a machine like LHC, you only build one and you only build it once."
Point well taken, but no less disappointing. Following 14-months of inaction, the machine was only recently restarted, but issues remain. Joints between the machine's magnets need to be strengthened before higher-energy collisions can take place. In the meantime, the decision has been made to run the LHC for 18 to 24 months at half power before pulling the plug for a year to make the necessary improvements. Bummer.
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warhummer
March 11, 2010 at 5:19pm
hmmm down for a year...that would make the end of world occur in, 2012?
jasonk1229
March 11, 2010 at 2:28pm
son of a #%@#, the LHC has only operated at half its potential I WANT TO SEE BLACK HOLES people.
thesmilies
March 11, 2010 at 1:50pm
First it gets shut down by a bagle, what got it this time? A cream filled donut?
thesmilies
March 11, 2010 at 1:50pm
First it gets shut down by a bagle, what got it this time? A cream filled donut?
scottscottscott
March 11, 2010 at 11:25am
Right on schedule for working out the kinks by December, 2012.
Signal2Noise
March 11, 2010 at 8:28am
I am relieved that the Earth will have at least 1 more year before getting sucked into the collider's black hole.
nekollx
March 11, 2010 at 9:54am
hooray the end of the world has been delayed!
and we are...still alive!
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Caboose
March 11, 2010 at 9:19am
Maybe that's why it's being shut down. It's all a cover so that they can deal with the already formed black holes.
Ooohh... that could be an interesting movie. LHC fires up, black hole forms and partially destroys the earth. Humanity is on the brick of extension. Scientists create a time device to send one person back in time to warn the LHC scientists not to turn it on...-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
I Jedi
March 11, 2010 at 12:31pm
Actually, according to a new theory, if you did go back in time to stop something from happening, you would merely just create another Universe with that new variable. So, really, everyone from this Universe is still basically fucked.
nekollx
March 11, 2010 at 9:55am
but the time portal only sends them back...
7 days
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Ntldr
March 11, 2010 at 7:20am
Can this thing make a portal to Narnia? Cause I would really like to go.
Keith E. Whisman
March 11, 2010 at 7:03am
That's not what I heard from someone that works there. I was told that everyday they have scientists get attacked by brown hairy Imps and Ogres that appear out of no where. That's all I've heard.
Nyarlathotep
March 11, 2010 at 7:33am
You made me laugh out loud Keith.
Seriously though, this is disappointing. I think we're ready for the next big breakthrough in our understanding of how our universe works.
"Sheesh, It's just one man's opinion..." -Me
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